CVE-2020-5283
XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support
ViewVC before versions 1.1.28 and 1.2.1 has a XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support. The impact of this vulnerability is mitigated by the need for an attacker to have commit privileges to a CVS repository exposed by an otherwise trusted ViewVC instance that also has the show_subdir_lastmod feature enabled. The attack vector involves files with unsafe names (names that, when embedded into an HTML stream, would cause the browser to run unwanted code), which themselves can be challenging to create. This vulnerability is patched in versions 1.2.1 and 1.1.28.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
3.1
XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support
ViewVC before versions 1.1.28 and 1.2.1 has a XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support. The impact of this vulnerability is mitigated by the need for an attacker to have commit privileges to a CVS repository exposed by an otherwise trusted ViewVC instance that also has the show_subdir_lastmod feature enabled. The attack vector involves files with unsafe names (names that, when embedded into an HTML stream, would cause the browser to run unwanted code), which themselves can be challenging to create. This vulnerability is patched in versions 1.2.1 and 1.1.28.
- Record
CVE-2020-5283- CVSS 3.1
- 3.1 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-80
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-26479
3.1
ViewVC before versions 1.1.28 and 1.2.1 has a XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support. The impact of this vulnerability is mitigated by the need for an attacker to have commit privileges to a CVS repository exposed by an otherwise trusted ViewVC instance that also has the show_subdir_lastmod feature enabled. The attack vector involves files with unsafe names (names that, when embedded into an HTML stream, would cause the browser to run unwanted code), which themselves can be challenging to create. This vulnerability is patched in versions 1.2.1 and 1.1.28.
- Record
EUVD-2020-26479- CVSS 3.1
- 3.1 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
NVD
3.1
ViewVC before versions 1.1.28 and 1.2.1 has a XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support. The impact of this vulnerability is mitigated by the need for an attacker to have commit privileges to a CVS repository exposed by an otherwise trusted ViewVC instance that also has the show_subdir_lastmod feature enabled. The attack vector involves files with unsafe names (names that, when embedded into an HTML stream, would cause the browser to run unwanted code), which themselves can be challenging to create. This vulnerability is patched in versions 1.2.1 and 1.1.28.
- Record
CVE-2020-5283- CVSS 3.1
- 3.1 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 3.5 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 2.1 Low
AV:N/AC:H/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-80, CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
3.5
ViewVC before versions 1.1.28 and 1.2.1 has a XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support. The impact of this vulnerability is mitigated by the need for an attacker to have commit privileges to a CVS repository exposed by an otherwise trusted ViewVC instance that also has the show_subdir_lastmod feature enabled. The attack vector involves files with unsafe names (names that, when embedded into an HTML stream, would cause the browser to run unwanted code), which themselves can be challenging to create. This vulnerability is patched in versions 1.2.1 and 1.1.28.
- Record
CVE-2020-5283- CVSS 3.1
- 3.5 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2020-5283
3.1
ViewVC before versions 1.1.28 and 1.2.1 has a XSS vulnerability in CVS show_subdir_lastmod support. The impact of this vulnerability is mitigated by the need for an attacker to have commit privileges to a CVS repository exposed by an otherwise trusted ViewVC instance that also has the show_subdir_lastmod feature enabled. The attack vector involves files with unsafe names (names that, when embedded into an HTML stream, would cause the browser to run unwanted code), which themselves can be challenging to create. This vulnerability is patched in versions 1.2.1 and 1.1.28.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2020-5283- CVSS 3.1
- 3.1 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 3.5 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2020-0221 No score
Updated viewvc packages fix security vulnerability
Updated viewvc package fixes security vulnerability:
ViewVC before versions 1.1.28 has an XSS vulnerability in CVS
show_subdir_lastmod support. The impact of this vulnerability is mitigated
by the need for an attacker to have commit privileges to a CVS repository
exposed by an otherwise trusted ViewVC instance that also has the
show_subdir_lastmod feature enabled. The attack vector involves files
with unsafe names (names that, when embedded into an HTML stream, would
cause the browser to run unwanted code), which themselves can be
challenging to create (CVE-2020-5283).
The viewvc package has been updated to version 1.1.28, fixing this issue and other bugs.
- Record
MGASA-2020-0221- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Show 5 moreShow less
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2021:0084-1 No score
Security update for viewvc
This update for viewvc fixes the following issues:
- update to 1.1.28 (boo#1167974, CVE-2020-5283):
- security fix: escape subdir lastmod file name (#211)
- fix standalone.py first request failure (#195)
- suppress stack traces (with option to show) (#140)
- distinguish text/binary/image files by icons (#166, #175)
- colorize alternating file content lines (#167)
- link to the instance root from the ViewVC logo (#168)
- display directory and root counts, too (#169)
- fix double fault error in standalone.py (#157)
- support timezone offsets with minutes piece (#176)
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2021:0084-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2021:0119-1 No score
Security update for viewvc
This update for viewvc fixes the following issues:
- update to 1.1.28 (boo#1167974, CVE-2020-5283):
- security fix: escape subdir lastmod file name (#211)
- fix standalone.py first request failure (#195)
- suppress stack traces (with option to show) (#140)
- distinguish text/binary/image files by icons (#166, #175)
- colorize alternating file content lines (#167)
- link to the instance root from the ViewVC logo (#168)
- display directory and root counts, too (#169)
- fix double fault error in standalone.py (#157)
- support timezone offsets with minutes piece (#176)
This update was imported from the openSUSE:Leap:15.1:Update update project.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2021:0119-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2021:0123-1 No score
Security update for viewvc
This update for viewvc fixes the following issues:
- update to 1.1.28 (boo#1167974, CVE-2020-5283):
- security fix: escape subdir lastmod file name (#211)
- fix standalone.py first request failure (#195)
- suppress stack traces (with option to show) (#140)
- distinguish text/binary/image files by icons (#166, #175)
- colorize alternating file content lines (#167)
- link to the instance root from the ViewVC logo (#168)
- display directory and root counts, too (#169)
- fix double fault error in standalone.py (#157)
- support timezone offsets with minutes piece (#176)
This update was imported from the openSUSE:Leap:15.1:Update update project.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2021:0123-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2021:0145-1 No score
Security update for viewvc
This update for viewvc fixes the following issues:
- update to 1.1.28 (boo#1167974, CVE-2020-5283):
- security fix: escape subdir lastmod file name (#211)
- fix standalone.py first request failure (#195)
- suppress stack traces (with option to show) (#140)
- distinguish text/binary/image files by icons (#166, #175)
- colorize alternating file content lines (#167)
- link to the instance root from the ViewVC logo (#168)
- display directory and root counts, too (#169)
- fix double fault error in standalone.py (#157)
- support timezone offsets with minutes piece (#176)
This update was imported from the openSUSE:Leap:15.1:Update update project. This update was imported from the openSUSE:Leap:15.2:Update update project.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2021:0145-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:12857-1 No score
viewvc-1.3.0~dev20230104-1.1 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the viewvc-1.3.0~dev20230104-1.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:12857-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
viewvcMageia:7 |
before 1.1.28-1.mga7 | 1.1.28-1.mga7 |
viewvcUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.1.22-11.1.22-1+deb8u1build0.16.04.1 |
None known |
viewvcUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.1.26-1 |
None known |
viewvcopenSUSE:Leap 15.1 |
before 1.1.28-lp151.3.3.1 | 1.1.28-lp151.3.3.1 |
viewvcSUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1 |
before 1.1.28-bp151.4.3.1 | 1.1.28-bp151.4.3.1 |
viewvcopenSUSE:Leap 15.2 |
before 1.1.28-lp152.4.3.1 | 1.1.28-lp152.4.3.1 |
viewvcSUSE:Package Hub 15 SP2 |
before 1.1.28-bp152.4.3.1 | 1.1.28-bp152.4.3.1 |
viewvcopenSUSE:Tumbleweed From an advisory covering 2 CVEs |
before 1.3.0~dev20230104-1.1 | 1.3.0~dev20230104-1.1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, facts | ||
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-5283 is a low vulnerability (CVSS 3.1) in Viewvc, published April 3, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.36%, the 71st percentile. Fixed in viewvc 1.1.28-1.mga7.
References
github.com/viewvc/viewvc/security/advisories/GHSA-xpxf-fvqv-7mfg
github.com/viewvc/viewvc/issues/211
github.com/viewvc/viewvc/commit/ad0f966e9a997b17d853a6972ea283d4dcd70fa8
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2Q2STF2MKT24HXZ3YZIU7CN6F6QM67I5
advisories.mageia.org/MGASA-2020-0221.html
bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=26628
Show 12 moreShow less
github.com/viewvc/viewvc/releases/tag/1.1.27
github.com/viewvc/viewvc/releases/tag/1.1.28
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/2Q2STF2MKT24HXZ3YZIU7CN6F6QM67I5
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2020-5283
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-5283
lists.opensuse.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/MFA7OR2MLXELR6A6M634B47K2RIB7LYV
bugzilla.suse.com/1167974
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2020-5283
lists.opensuse.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/KGEO74AOMRFBUZ5VL2QLLN3TAWYC7ZKW
lists.opensuse.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/MAJYDJLUUCZVZ2IZJFFWFQ663RENRLLG
lists.opensuse.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/E2A7TO5T4QEJHRLA7YZBTOPVCY4745TO
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2017-5938